West Linn just moved one step closer to replacing the aged and dilapidated Cedaroak Boat Ramp at the end of Elmran Avenue.

Last week, the city secured a $660,000 grant from the Oregon State Marine Board to help fund the $970,000 project. Now, the city has to find a local match of $310,000 to make up the rest. Of that $310,000, $235,000 can come from the Parks & Recreation Department, said city spokeswoman Kirsten Wyatt.

The ramp is about 130 feet long, and it was built 43 years ago. City officials have worked on replacing it for more than a decade, citing structural deficiencies and maintenance concerns, said Parks & Recreation Director Ken Worcester.

"The ramp suffered a lot of damage in the flood from '96 and has just progressively started to deteriorate," he said.

The ramp has dangerous poles and planks and decomposing concrete, Worcester said. Meanwhile, the ramp has also had problems with siltation in recent years.

"During the low-water periods, the ramp is basically rendered unusable because of the silt and mud that gets built up on the ramp itself," he said. "Depending on the next winter, it can even be worse than it was before, because we have no control of any of the materials in the river upstream."

The city plans to replace the current ramp with a longer one that will meet updated design standards and reduce the need for maintenance dredging.

For the past two years, the city has worked on getting permits for the project, he said. Now, the hope is to finish the ramp replacement by next year, Worcester said.

"People have been really patient," he said. "It's been a long process. We're just really happy to see it kind of coming to a close."